Flashing Target

ABSTRACT

Using traceable target plates triggering a LED flashing controller to make different color of LED lights flashing different patterns corresponding to shooting results. The invention can be used in airsoft gun target, archery target, or dart target.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

FEDERALLY SUPPORTED RESEARCH

None

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

None

BACKGROUND

Field of Invention

This invention relates to airsoft gun target, archery target, and dart target. The invention introduces a new way to display the strike results on the target board by flashing different color or pattern of LED light rings to show the results. The target can be used in either indoor or outdoor shooting range.

Prior Art

Majority of current available airsoft gun target, dart target, or archery target are hanging subjects with different materials, such as wood, plastic, paper, and so on. The ones are using electronic displays are limited to digital numbers. None of them are using LED light rings to display shooting results.

SUMMARY

This invention introduces electronic display on a shooting target with multiple different color of LED light rings on the target board to show shooting results. The target consists of multiple traceable target plates surrounding the target center and a push switch behind each of the target plates connecting to a battery powered flashing controller. When a shooting object, such as bullet, dart, or arrow strikes a target plate, the strike force pushes the target plate retreat and turns a push switch to a ON position, thus electricity from the battery flows to the LED light flashing controller and makes the corresponding color LED lights signal multiple times or different patterns. The flashing color indicates the accuracy of the shot and notifies the results to the shooter. After the bullet or an arrow stop moving forward, a push back restoring spring on the back of the target plate pushes the plate back to the original position, hence releases the push switch to OFF and all the light stop flashing. The target is ready for next strike.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 is the front view of the main body of the flashing target

FIG. 2 is the side sectional view of the flashing target

FIG. 3 is the enlarged sectional view for the retraceable plate assembly in normal status.

FIG. 4 is the enlarged sectional view for the retraceable plate assembly in after a force strike status

FIG. 5 is the sectional view for the retraceable plate with two balancing supporting bolts and light covers

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 Center target plate

2 Center target LED light

3 Center LED light cover

4 Middle target plates (three pieces)

5 Middle target LED light

6 Middle LED light cover

7 Outer target plates (four pieces)

8 Outer LED light

9 Outer LED light cover

10 Connection wire

11 Battery box

12 Center wire connector (all dotted lines)

13 Middle wire connector

14 Flashing light controller

15 Outer wire connector

16 Outer LED light push switch

17 Restoring spring

18 Main Frame

19 Target plate supporting bolt

20 Middle LED light push switch

21 Center LED light push switch

22 Plate moving stopper

23 Light hole

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT—FIG. 1-5

FIG. 1 is the first perspective view constructed in accordance with the invention, the front view of the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the preferred embodiment with all components.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view for a target plate in strike ready status and the switch is in the OFF position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view for a target plate after a force strike from shooting and the switch is in the ON position. It also shows how the plate moving stopper on a support bold stop a plate moving back further.

FIG. 5 shows a sectional views of how an individual target plate been supported by two supporting bolts with push up restoring springs. It also shows a LED light cover stops the target plate go its original position.

OPERATION—THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT—FIG. 1-5

The flashing target, the preferred embodiment consists of two target plate rings and a center target plate (1). Each of the target rings has multiple traceable target plates (4 and 7); each target plate (4 or 7), including the center plate (1) is supported by two one-loss-end supporting bolts (9) surrounded by push up restoring springs (7). The tail end of a bolt (9) is connected firmly to a target plate (1, 4, or 7) and the head end of a target plate bolt has a loose connection to the main frame (18). So that it can be slid back and forth on the corresponding bolt hole in the main frame (18). Hence, a plate (1, 4, or 7) can be moved back individually by strike force along with the supporting bolt (19). The push up restoring spring (7) keeps the plate to the original normal position after or with no strike impact. Different colors of LED lights (2, 5, and 8) are installed surrounding each of the target rings under protection covers (3, 6, and 9). The protection cover has light holes (23) that are smaller than bullets or arrow head in diameter to let light go through and makes it visible to the shooter. The material of the target plate and the protection cover can be metal or plastic depending on the strength of the strike force and shooting distance. The material used for the target plates (1, 4, and 7) and protection covers (3, 6, and 9) should be safe to the shooter. They will not bounce a bullet back hard and injure the shooter. They cannot be penetrated by a bullet or an arrow either.

When a bullet, a dart, or an arrow hits a target plate (1, 4, or 7), the impact force pushes the target plate back and makes the corresponding switch (16, 20, or 21) to the ON position (See FIG. 4). The switch will trigger a battery powered flashing controller (14) to flash the corresponding LED lights multiple times or different patterns according to the LED light push switch installed behind the corresponding target plate. If there is no strike, or after the strike, the target plate (1, 4, or 7) will be pushed back to the normal position by the restoring spring (17). Thus the push switch (16, 20, or 21) is released and returns to the OFF position. LED lights stop flashing. The plate moving stopper (22) built on each of the bolts (19) is to make sure that only the necessary distance (the distance to trigger the push switch) is allowed for a target plate (1, 4, or 9) and protect the push switch (16, 20, or 21) from damage by unexpected forces.

All the LED lights (2, 5, or 8) are connected to a corresponding wire connector (12, 13, or 15) on the flashing light controller (14) via connection wire (10). Each of the wire connectors (12, 13, and 15) is controlled by the flashing light controller (14) in responding to each of the, push switches (16, 20, and 21). The flashing light controller (14) and battery box (11) are attached to the back of the target main frame body (18)

In order to keep a good balance of the traceable plate and a good response to a bullet, an arrow, or a dart strike force, two target plate supporting bolts (19) need to be installed evenly on each of the plate, (1, 4, or 9). A LED light push switch (16, 20, or 21) needs to be installed in the middle of a plate (see FIG. 5)

In this embodiment, the protection covers (3, 6, and 9) not only protect the LED lights (2, 5, and 8) from damage, they also make light go through, and act as a stopper to hold target plates (1, 4, and 9) in the ready/normal position before or after a strike from a shooting takes place.

CONCLUSION

Using multiple independent traceable target plates to make different color of LED lights flashing multiple times or different patterns corresponding to an airsoft gun, an archery, or a dart shooting impact on the target, not only provides the shooter with shooting accuracy results, but also entertains the shooter. By using the same principle, a shooting target with more target rings and different flashing patterns can make a shooting game more attractive. This embodiment can be applied to airsoft gun target, archery target, or darts target 

1. A flashing target, comprising traceable target plates thereby receive strikes from shootings; target rings comprising multiple said traceable target plates; LED light rings comprising multiple LED lights and corresponding to target rings; LED lights providing flashing signals in responding to a shooting strike; supporting bolts that support said target plates and can be moved back and forth; restoring springs on said supporting bolts that can push said bolts with target plate back to the original position after a strike; plate moving stoppers that limiting the moving distance of said supporting bolts to protect LED light switches; a flashing light controller that control LED lights and flashing times and frequency; LED light covers that protecting said LED lights from damage and holding said traceable target plates in the right position.
 2. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising multiple sets of different color LED light rings which are used to display strike results on a target board.
 3. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising multiple sets of different color LED light rings which are arranged just outside of each of the target plate rings and are used to display strike results on a target board.
 4. The flashing target of claim 1, wherein the different colors of LED lights arranged right off the target ring that display strike accuracy on a target board.
 5. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising a flashing controller to control LED light flashing time and frequency.
 6. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising multiple support bolts with moving stoppers on traceable target plates to distribute a strike force evenly across plates.
 7. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising light covers with smaller tapered holes that allow maximum of light go through the holes while protect LED lights from damage.
 8. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising light covers to stop target plates to the designed position.
 9. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising push up springs surrounding on support bolts to restore target plates to their designed position.
 10. The flashing target of claim 1, further comprising plate moving stoppers that is built on supporting bolts to restrict the slide distance of the bolts after the associated target plates been pushed back by stronger strike force with over 100 mps (mile per second) velocity of the striking object (dart, arrow, or air gun bullet) to protect the push switches. 